Embodiments of the present invention relate to extending the life of a compromised umbilical.
One of the most common problems with a subsea umbilical between a fluid extraction well surface platform and a well complex is degradation of the insulation impedance between internal conductors of the umbilical and earth, i.e. the surrounding sea water. In practice, the umbilical is compromised by the in ingress of sea water, causing the capacitance between the conductors and earth to increase substantially, with resultant increase of leakage currents and less power available for the well complex. Embodiments of the present invention enable a solution to this problem by saving the need to replace the umbilical.
Various systems for providing electrical power to an underwater location are described in: GB-A-2 332 220; GB-A-2 382 600; WO01/84689; WO02/37640; U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,184; U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,083; U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,934; WO01/71158; U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,025; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,333.